The Sunni-Shiite split happened c. 650 C.E. In the religion of
Islam, it carries great political and theological weight.
Historically, Islamic states (e.g. Arabia, Persia, Ottoman
Empire, Mughal India, etc.) have always lent themselves to be
theocratic. The first state leaders who emerged from the birth of
Islam c. 600s CE were the Caliphs. Over the next one thousand
years, the world would see various Sheikhs, Sultans and Khans all
vie for power in the culturally flourishing part o...

Recently, I was reading an article about Iran. You know, I don't
really delve into matters pertaining to the Middle East. I mean,
it's always been a dream of mine to learn Arabic, but I don't
really keep up with the news from that region. However, the
article which I read was striking. Through it, I found out that
six people (specifically young dancers) were arrested for making
a fan video for Pharell Williams's song "Happy". Although they
were recently freed, it got me thinking....

http://news.distractify.com/culture/childrens-bedrooms-across-the-world/
Recently, I saw something posted on Facebook which was incredibly
thought provoking. It wasn't some ornate tapestry, confounding
riddle or joke I could not understand. Rather, it was a
demonstration of the condition of the world through the medium of
photography. I was appalled. The photos were not ugly or
disgusting. Instead, I felt as if my place in the world was so
detached from the places of others that...

Poetry is a powerful form of communication and expression. In
fact, the very foundation of poetry is based on emotion and
sentiment which seeks to make itself universal in its plight,
understood by everyone. If there is one thing that every person
in every generation can understand, it is war. I decided to use
poetry to convey the thoughts of the greats about war. Enjoy!
Nefarious War--Li Po (c. 750)
Last year we fought by the head-stream of the So-Kan,
This year we are fight...

Should we have to live in fear of the government? Should children
grow up in a society which represses their rights to free speech?
Of course not! Government's job, by definition, is to protect and
preserve the rights of its citizens. Recently, Edward Snowden,
the supposed "whistleblower" was nominated by Norwegian lawmakers
for the Nobel Peace Prize. Suddenly, the whole world starts
freaking out saying things that fall into one extreme or the
other. You have on one hand people say...

This year, women made great strides in career areas, world
service and the global sector of humanity helping. Humanity
helping? Making change! I really love this commercial that aired
during the Golden Globes last weekend. I don't really have much
else to say other than how wonderful it is. It features a song by
Sara Bareilles called Brave. For your entertainment, I
posted some of the lyrics below. Have fun with the video. And
women, remember to be brave!
Brave by Sara Bareille...